• HURIWA demands independent autopsy on death of 22-year-old
The Law Graduates’ Association of Nigeria (LAWGAN) on Sunday condemned the alleged unlawful detention and violations of constitutional rights involving Ms Arit Etim Ukorebi, a staff member of D’fun Enterprise, who is reportedly being held by officers of the Okuni Police Station in Cross River State.
Ukorebi was said to have been arrested over allegations of mis appropriating company funds amounting to N16 million. However, reports reaching the association indicate she has been denied access to legal counsel, family members, and communication, actions which LAWGAN described as “a flagrant violation” of her fundamental human rights.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Kayode Bello, and Public Relations Officer, Ojo Clement, and made available to The Guardian in Ibadan, LAWGAN expressed grave concern over the incident, citing relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended): Section 36(6)(c) – the right to consult with a legal practitioner of one’s choice; Section 34(1) – the right to dignity of the human person, prohibiting torture or degrading treatment; and Section 35(2) – the right to personal liberty and access to family while in lawful custody.
“While we support proper investigation into all allegations of crime, the rule of law must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency. No law enforcement agency should operate above the Constitution,” the statement read.
LAWGAN stressed that the Nigeria Police Force must serve as a protector of justice and not as a tool of oppression, especially against vulnerable or economically disadvantaged citizens. The association called for an immediate investigation by the Cross River State Commissioner of Police into the reported violations and the protection of Ms Ukorebi’s rights.
It also urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to enforce compliance with the Anti-Torture Act 2017 and constitutional safeguards across all police formations. LAWGAN further called for vigilance from civil society, human rights organisations, and legal professionals in defending the rights of Nigerians, regardless of social or economic status.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded an independent autopsy into the death of 22-year-old Moses Mba, who died after being shot by a police officer attached to the residence of Governor Bassey Otu.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group alleged a conspiracy to conceal the actual cause of Mba’s death and described the plan by the Cross River State Police Command to conduct the autopsy as “absolutely unlawful and totally a hogwash.”
HURIWA also criticised Governor Otu for what it termed his failure to show remorse over the “needless, senseless and reckless execution” of a citizen by police operatives guarding his residence. It urged the governor to ensure that the officer responsible faced the full wrath of the law, rejecting any “cover-up plots by the police.”
The group further demanded that IGP KayodeEgbetokun order the arrest and investigation of the officer for murder.
“The family of the victim of this police murder should be allowed, together with civil society organisations, to conduct an independent autopsy with the presence of a police representative so that the entire process wouldn’t be muddied up by the Cross River State Police Command in its attempt to cover up this dastardly crime of murder committed by the police,” HURIWA stated.
“It is very likely that since the police failed to bribe their way out of being subjected to due process, they are now gambling with the prospect of conducting an autopsy whose result is already predetermined, just so that the operative responsible for the shooting death of Moses Mba would be let off the hook in a criminal conspiratorial plot.
“Anything less than an independent autopsy is non-negotiable and absolutely unconstitutional. The police can’t be the judge and the prosecutor in its own case,” HURIWA affirmed.
